The Board remands the appeal for additional VA examinations to determine the current level of severity of the Veteran's service-connected left thumb and right ankle disabilities.
The deciding factor: The February 2020 VA examinations and March 2020 addendum opinions were found inadequate as they did not address the requirements set forth in Correia v. McDonald, 28 Vet. App. 158 (2016) and Sharp v. Shulkin, 29 Vet. App. 26 (2017).
- Claimed conditions
- Left thumb sprain, Right ankle strain
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 25, 2024
- Citation
- 24003861
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for plantar fasciitis on the right and left foot, left and right ankle strain, left and right knee osteoarthritis, and left and right hip strain, all secondary to service-connected back and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy disabilities with weight gain/obesity as an intermediate step.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for further development, including obtaining medical opinions and readjudicating the cases.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for insomnia disorder with alcohol use disorder, right ankle strain, and left ankle strain as the evidence did not support a higher disability rating.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, post traumatic pain cervical cervicothoracic regions, and residuals of traumatic brain injury. The initial ratings for various service-connected conditions were also denied.
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